This application claims priority to Japanese patent application serial no. JP P11-126,113, filed on May 6, 1999.
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional object observing microscope for observing a three-dimensional object in a three-dimensional manner.
In the related art, in general, in observing a three-dimensional object, especially a microscopic three-dimensional object, such a microscopic object is observed from right above the object with the use of a microscope.
Therefore, it is difficult to carry out the observation of the microscopic three-dimensional object in a three-dimensional manner and hence, it is substantially impossible to grasp the three-dimensional shape.
To the contrary, in case the microscopic three-dimensional object is observed from an oblique upper position, it is possible to observe the microscopic three-dimensional object in a three-dimensional manner. However, in such an observation with the use of the related microscope or the like, it is necessary to arrange the microscopic three-dimensional object which constitutes an object to be observed in an oblique manner. Therefore, depending on the magnification of a lens used by the microscope, the focusing with respect to the microscopic three-dimensional object becomes difficult due to the difference of focusing distance or the narrow depth of field and hence, the observation of the microscopic three-dimensional object from the upper oblique position is substantially difficult.
Further, in the observation with the use of the microscope, only one person which uses the microscope is capable of observing and hence, it is difficult to transmit information obtained at the time of observation to others.
On the other hand, a method where the microscopic three-dimensional object is placed on the table, this microscopic three-dimensional object is imaged by an image camera by way of an image lens and then an image imaged by the imaging camera is displayed on a display screen may be considered.
Due to such a constitution, the microscopic three-dimensional object is imaged by the image camera by way of the image lens from an upper oblique position and then the image is displayed on the display screen so that the three-dimensional observation of the microscopic three-dimensional object from the upper oblique position becomes possible and the observation by a plurality of persons also becomes possible.
In the observation of the microscopic three-dimensional object which uses such imaging lens and the imaging camera, the imaging lens, the imaging camera and the display are individually commercially available and hence, they can be easily obtained. However, to constitute an observing apparatus by combining these parts, it is necessary to firmly hold the imaging lens and the imaging camera to image the microscopic three-dimensional object and a table is also necessary to hold the microscopic three-dimensional object. Accordingly, there have been problems such that the preparation of the observation takes time and the preparation to move the observing device which has been installed also takes time.
Further, since the display constitutes a separate body, in case a viewer carries out various operations while watching the image of the microscopic object displayed on the display screen, the movement of the line of sight of the viewer becomes large thus deteriorating the operability.
Further, in case the magnification of the imaging lens is high, the higher the magnification, the narrower the field of vision of the observation becomes and hence, it becomes difficult to arrange the microscopic three-dimensional object within the field of vision of the observation. Particularly, in observing the microscopic three-dimensional object which is formed by arranging same parts such as mounting boards or the like or the microscopic three-dimensional object which is constituted by repeating the same pattern, it is difficult to grasp the actual observation position.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional object observing microscope which is capable of readily observing a three-dimensional object in a three-dimensional manner.
The above-mentioned object is achieved by a three-dimensional object observing microscope being characterized by comprising a table on which a three-dimensional object is placed, an imaging part which includes an imaging lens and an imaging camera for imaging the three-dimensional object from an upper oblique position, and a casing which supports the imaging part rotatably in a horizontal direction and also integrally supports the table and the imaging part.
Due to the above-mentioned constitution, with respect to the three-dimensional object placed on the table, by imaging the three-dimensional object from an upper oblique position by the imaging part, the three-dimensional object can be readily observed in a three-dimensional manner.
In this case, since the table and the imaging part are integrally supported by the casing, the preparation for observation becomes unnecessary and the observation can be carried out promptly, and in case the three-dimensional object observing microscope is to be moved to other place, the whole three-dimensional object observing microscope can be readily moved and the observation can be carried out promptly at the moved place.